SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS I

Catalog description

<b>Prerequisite:</b><i> Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Open to graduate students only.</i><br>This course will challenge students to develop an understanding of the complex organizations through which social welfare and social work services are delivered. Using systems theory, students will develop a more nuanced perspective on the structure and functioning of complex social service organizations. They will also learn about the social ecology of organizations, including how organizations adapt to changing social environments. They will develop an understanding of how social organizations are established, how they grow and expand services, how they are supported by their resource environment, and how they respond to potential threats to their viability. They will understand how organizational factors affect practice and how practitioners can contribute to developing more effective social organizations. They will develop an understanding of how effective social organizations can become vital forces in creating more humane conditions in society to the benefit of diverse individuals, families, groups, and communities—and the role that social workers can play in enhancing the effectiveness of the organizations in which they are employed and with which they interact.<br><i>Faculty: STAFF</i>